Former president Rody Duterte faced prosecutors for a second day at the International Criminal Court confirmation of charges hearing in The Hague, as his camp mounted a direct defense against allegations tied to his anti drug campaign.
Leading that defense, former presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo directly challenged the prosecution’s presentation and questioned the court’s authority over the Philippines.
As prosecutors presented videos, testimonies, and data which they said showed widespread killings during the drug war, Panelo dismissed portions of the victims’ accounts as “blusters.” He said, “It is not true that they were killed defenselessly.” He added that emotional appeals had “nothing to do with what happened,” and insisted that the court examine the specific circumstances of each incident.
“You have to pursue what were the circumstances kung bakit pinatay yan. Inutusan ba sila? Hindi naman sila inutusan,” he said.
Panelo reiterated Duterte’s long held position that police officers acted in self defense and maintained that the ICC lacks jurisdiction. “The ICC cannot intrude into any country member state if it has the capacity to prosecute criminals, and the country has that,” he said. He further stated, “This court has no business assuming jurisdiction over us because it has none.”
The confirmation of charges hearing will resume on February 26 and 27. The ICC’s Pre Trial Chamber I has 60 days after the hearings conclude to determine whether the case will proceed to trial.
